THIS appears to have been, and it may still be, a very
common superstition. I have lately received from Mr T. Q. Couch of Bodmin
the story of some sailors, who had reason to suspect that one of their body
was a wizard. This was eventually proved to have been the case, by
circumstances in every way resembling those of our old witch. There had been
a quarrel, and revenge had been talked of. The sailors were all grouped
together in the forepart of the ship, except the suspected one, and a toad
fell sprawling amongst them. One of the men flung the creature into the fire
in the caboose. It struggled for a moment in the fire, and then by a
convulsive effort flung itself out. Immediately the toad was caught up by
one of the men, and flung into the sea.

In the course of some little time the absent sailor made his
appearance dripping wet. In a drunken frolic he had first fallen into the
fire at a low beer shop or "Kiddle-e-wink," and subsequently he fell out of
the boat into the sea.